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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · patient · trunk · band · bound · scale · track · fork

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. band — a music group
  3. track — a path
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bound — obliged
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bound — certain
  10. track — a song
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bound — tied together
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. scale — size or range
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. scale — in music
  23. band — a ring
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com